Avalon Acres CSA

Oh Avalon Acres, how I love thee.
I’d like to start this review with a list of reasons why I think CSAs in general are great, because while I’m finding that people seem to have an increased amount of familiarity about them, I still run into a fair amount that have never heard about it.
CSAs, or community supported agriculture, are really sweet programs where members can purchase a share in the farm and receive a package of produce and meats (depending on what they offer) every week throughout the growing season. The consumer also shares the risk of the farmer, as bad growing seasons impact both parties, but they also get to reap the rewards of a good harvest. I love knowing that my produce dollars are supporting local farmers and that the meats that they provide for me come from animals that are cared for with love and lots of room. I also love ‘local eating’ or eating what’s in season in your area, mainly because tomatoes produced at the height of tomato season are the most delicious things ever, especially compared with winter grocery store tomatoes that were engineered to not bruise when they bounce off trucks instead of for flavor. I also love feeling like I’m on the show «chopped» where chefs get a box of ingredients with which they must make a dish. I feel like cooking this way helps my creativity and the variety of food that I eat.
I’ve been a member of Avalon Acres CSA for three summer seasons (May-​October) and a winter season (ten deliveries, biweekly Nov-​Feb ish). I’ve been so impressed with their product and customer service. I love that they offer many drop-​off locations that customers can choose from, and every week they send out an email with delicious extras like goat cheese, jams, or pasta that you can add onto the share that you normally receive. They offer many packages in different sizes and prices. The first year I worked with them I just wanted to try the whole CSA thing out, so I went with the ¼ bushel box of produce. The next year, I added a meat and egg package to that. It’s more than enough food for me-​in fact I find that I have to have friends over for dinner to keep up with the supply coming in or I need to make dishes that freeze well to save for winter. They also have all of their members out to the farm each year-​I haven’t made it out there just yet, but I think that it is such a friendly touch and I’ll try to make it out this summer!

I’ve been a member of Avalon Acres pretty much since they started delivering to Nashville. I either joined in 2005 or 2006, can’t remember. I’ve been the coordinator for my office since 2007 for them. I was with another CSA for a couple years before I found Avalon Acres, and honestly wasn’t that impressed. Once I found Avalon, there was no turning back. They have the best variety of fruits and veggies as well as wonderful meats and eggs, dairy and Amish baked goods as well as homemade pastas and preserved goods. Everything is always awesome, and on the very rare occasion there is a problem, they more than make up for it. Being the office coordinator I hear if there are ever any issues, and Avalon always goes way above and beyond to fix the problem. Another thing I love about them is that they are year round. In the winter you can still get all the wonderful meats and eggs and dairy that you got during the summer, and you can also get preserved goods from the past season’s harvest! YUM!!! I can’t imagine anyone who cooks and who cares about what they eat would ever regret joining Avalon Acres.

There are limited options in Middle TN when looking for a great way to go local with your food shopping.
I have been a CSA Member with Avalon Acres for 2.5 years now, and we have been very impressed with the variety, selection and most importantly, the quality of the food and the service.
The summer CSA program which runs for about 6 months, provides a weekly bevy of fresh produce as a standard share, with the options of adding meat, eggs, baked goods, pastas, canned items, honey as you like. The produce is seasonal, of course, and you will see a rainbow of vegetables each week and throughout the season. It is a weekly surprise which broadens the meal planning horizons in our house. Some notable new vegetables we had the opportunity to try last summer– garlic scapes, icicle radishes, zebra tomatoes, rainbow swiss chard and more unusual and delicious greens than I can name.
The meat options are chicken, beef and pork of all cuts, and while more expensive than your neighborhood grocery store, the taste and nutrition quality is superb because of the free range, pasture fed practices.
The Winter CSA program provides a twice monthly delivery of winter produce– sweet potatoes, winter squashes, pumpkins– as well as canned, frozen produce from the previous season. Handmade pastas, jams, pickles and other goods round out the harvest package. You can also still get meat and eggs in the same variety as the summer program.
Having the opportunity to meet Tim and Jennifer Bodnar, the proprietors of the Avalon Acres family of farmers was a great experience as well. They are passionate about healthy, quality food practices and really helping to support the farmers of middle TN by getting their goods to eager consumers. The farm blog and recipe blog offer ways to prepare the goods each week, and participants can offer their new creations as well.
They host a day on the farm, near the end of the season, for a chance to meet farmers, see the animals, and learn and appreciate where your food is really coming from.
We will continue to sign up every season.

If you live in Nashville, and like to make your own food, you have no excuse not to join.
I’ve been using Avalon Acres for 3 years now. The reason I like it is because it allows me to get a variety of fresh produce, eggs and meats on a weekly basis for a great price without having to schlep all the way to the Farmer’s Market. As I like to cook, it also provides a challenge as you never know what you are going to get in your box. I always get excited when I get the box home and open it up — waiting to see what cool fruits and veggies I get and what I should do with them. Of course, it can be a drawback too, as you may get some produce that you may have a challenge in using before the next week. One awesome piece of advice a friend gave me was to process the contents as soon as it is opened, freeze or can whatever you aren’t going to use immediately in that week’s recipes — making freezer space or getting a standalone freezer is a must. I also found using a CSA was very helpful when it came to making fresh baby food for our son when he was a peanut.
They grow their veggies using sustainable practices and there is no middle-​man, it comes straight from the farm to your house. They actually supply produce, meats and eggs to local high-​end restaurants all over town. The eggs come from free-​range chickens, they actually faced a big hit when the floods hit back in May 2010. Their meats primarily come from Amish producers, they are free of antibiotics, hormones and artificial ingredients in the production of their meat products. By supporting this CSA, you’re helping to support 40 small family farms around TN.
The people that run it are very nice and friendly; I strongly encourage you to make friends with the delivery driver. They will let you know the ‘inside scoop’ on what is new that week. Far too many people at my dropoff in Belle Meade are a bunch of rude, affluent yuppies who can’t be bothered to speak to ‘the help’ when they make their pickups — stay on the cell phone the whole time and throw the drivers their money without even making eye contact…
Every Friday they send out an email blast that lets you choose additional items that are seasonal specials, like canned goods, honey, preserves, meats and sausages. They also let you customize your package if you eschew certain foods like eggs or specific meat products. Also during the fall, you can opt in to get some amazing turkeys — some of the best turkeys I’ve ever made.
The pricing is excellent and varied, for example, we get ¼ bushel of assorted produce, dozen eggs, and a meat portion (could be ground beef, chicken thighs/​legs, short ribs, whole chickens, steaks) for $ 34.50. Not bad! You also get a deal up front if you pay for the year in advance; but despite the way you pay, you are signing up to pick up every week, regardless of whether or not you will be in town.
I once went to a tasting dinner where Alan Benton, the greatest producer of quality bacon, once told everyone that all of the pigs that he sourced roamed free and ate great-​quality feed; not because he gave a damn about the pigs, but treating livestock well resulted in a higher-​quality product. That sums up my feelings on Avalon Acres.